Stories and essays by ten talented Australian writers, including Maria Takolander, Tony Birch, Marion Halligan, Ryan O'Neill and Jennifer Mills. Introduction by Amanda Lohrey.

'Only rarely does a critic come across a perfect collection.' — Helen Elliot, The Australian

'Filled with cutting-edge, innovative writers and armed with an expansive definition of what it is to be an Australian, Cracking the Spine will be at once accessible to undergraduate students and informative and challenging for their teachers. What a thrill to see a work like this come about!' — Nicholas Birns, Antipodes 

'Literature, life, landscape, history: the whole gamut of Antipodean experience may be gleaned from its pages. An ideal resource for those interested in Ozlit, Cracking the Spine is also a pure pleasure to read.' — Geordie Williamson